Rapid City Man Gets Life for Meth Conspiracy

A Rapid City man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a massive methamphetamine conspiracy that spanned several years and involved the recruitment of minors.

Luis Olivares, 43, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release, as well as ordered to pay $600 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The convictions stemmed from a conspiracy led by Olivares, which involved the illegal distribution of approximately 5 to 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in South Dakota and elsewhere. The conspiracy began in 2008 and concluded in late 2010 after Olivares and 15 others were indicted for various drug and firearms offenses.

During the conspiracy, Olivares engaged law enforcement in a high-speed chase, which ended with him crashing his vehicle. Inside the vehicle, authorities found approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Olivares also threw a pound of methamphetamine out the car window during the pursuit and hid an additional pound under a rock in a field after crashing.

Olivares has two previous drug felony convictions out of Colorado, which contributed to his enhanced sentence. All 15 of his co-defendants pleaded guilty to at least one federal felony offense. The methamphetamine was distributed primarily in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Rapid City Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Olivares was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.